Easy and simple-- More geared toward a females perspective and calorie conscious/loosing weight.

Best post work out protein shake Gatorade G Series FIT Recover or Muscle Milk Light??

I'm just trying to tone up a little bit, I'm by all means not hitting the gym as hard as the guys, I'm mostly aiming for core with a little upper body. I just want to beat the next day body drags-- which is better for us lighter gym goers?? Is the little bit in Gatorade sufficient or should I go big or go home with the Muscle Milk?

19 answers

Im going to have to say neither one. Lets start with Gatorade. Oh the ever popular ultimate sports beverage lol. Now I love gatorade. It has a great taste, its refreshing and probably a good beverage to have on the side lines next to water. However, I can really find nothing in the ingredients of Gatorade that will keep the body out of catabolism after a workout. What is "catabolism" ? If you fail to provide your body with the nutrients it needs after training, it attacks muscle tissue in order to get these nutrients. That is catabolism. Some bodybuilders will refer to the time after working out as your "anabolic window". So in this aspect and for your goals of having toned muscle, gatorade is out for sure.

Now on to Muscle Milk. This one is a little more tricky. I love muscle milk and for lack of my usual shake I will drink one from time to time. I like what Jeff said above. "Fat doesnt make you fat. Calories consumed at the wrong times in the wrong amounts makes you fat." I have a saying that kinda goes along with that. You can workout with a bad diet, but you cant out work a bad diet. I tell people that abs are made in the kitchen, not the gym. If I were training you I would like to see you with a shake that is around 120 calories, 20 grams of protein and less than 5 grams of fat or carbs. Optimum Nutrition makes a great line of protein shakes that fit that mold. Also, re-evaluate what you're eating and how often. Think lean and healthy. Fish, chicken, vegetables and for a snack a hand full of almonds or maybe a piece of fruit, once a day. I currently have 3 clients who are showing VERY good results off of these guidelines. Stay positive, focused, do the work and you'll get the results!

It really all depends on your goals & what you’re trying to achieve. James, I could be reading the label wrong, but I find that Muscle Milk Light has 20 grams of protein per serving & anywhere from 160-170 calories with the (3) flavors they offer –I could be wrong.

Either way, based on how you train & again your goals, a solid diet with a healthy mix of complex carbohydrates, protein & healthy fats may be all you need & then make a judgment call after your intense workouts where you have felt fatigued the next day whether or not you supplement. Me personally, I do.

Muscle Milk has been around for a long time & so has Gatorade, but my challenge with Gatorade (the new G Recover) is that their staple product has always been a pre & mid workout supplement with the sugars, electrolytes & the carbohydrates whereas Muscle Milk has always done what they do –as far as I know.It’s like if Porsche started producing & selling microwaves; I have no doubt they can do it, just not as well as GE.

If you like having a post workout shake, which one has a more fitting nutritional profile for your goals? If you can give us the caloric break down, we could help suggest what looks better for what you're trying to do. I dont consume a PWO shake, but when I do have one just as a protein supp, I go with whey powder because it has only a few calories from carbs and fat. I'd rather save those calories for real food!

Also, if you are going to consume a protein supp on a daily or nearly daily basis, a more cost effective alternative would be whey or soy protein powder. Just something to look into, its coins per serving compared to a couple bucks a bottle.

The 2 products are actually very similar nutritionally but I imagine there will be a BIG taste difference (1 is fruit flavored, the other is chocolate milk flavored) so it might come down to preference on taste. BUT, if we do go back to what you originally stated as your goals I think I might have to go back on what I originally said and give the vote for the Gatorade G series FIT recover. It has slightly LESS calories per serve, it still has sufficient protein for repair, but the big thing I like of the Gatorade is it does have more sugars (which is actually better for a post workout meal). So although the differences are minor, it is probably a tiny bit better for YOU (again based on what you said your goals were.)

I agree with you 100% Zach Clark. There are certainly much better (or at least equal) post workout meals from different companies which charge a lot less. To me, price is usually my deciding factor on what I take (so long as its nutrient content checks out). I actually put price above flavor. I have drunk some pretty disgusting tasting things 'back in the day' well before the supplement industry cared about what their products tasted like.

My mother sells isagenix, that is what our whole family uses. Unfortunately is pretty expensive if you don't know anyone with a membership to buy it. The anytime health protein is good for you and inexpensive but the taste isn't great. If you want something quick and decent buy the atkins chocolate protein shakes, gatorade is sugar and muscle milk will make you gain weight if you're not excercising enough.

Muscle Milk - definitely!! That is the best post workout meal on the market. It does have fat in it, but fat doesn't make you fat. Calories consumed at the wrong times in the wrong amounts makes you fat.

Since you say its Muscle Milk Light, I would assume it has a fair few less calories then the 'normal' muscle milk, and I would tend to choose that as a post workout meal, as it combines protein and carbs together. To me Gatorade it better used as a 'pre' or 'during' exercise drink, particular for endurance or ultra endurance events, when more sweat is lost. The slats in the Gatorade are a great way to rehydrate you and replace those lost through excess sweating, and the sugars in Gatorade provide a great instant source of energy, but again, it is better utilized when the energy is immediately used (during exercise). I'm actually not familiar with the specific Gatorade you refer to, and the fact it says recover in the name, may mean it is specific to recovery, which often combines protein and carbs together, so if that is the case, then I might have to revaluate my answer.

I just pulled the label straight off the website, so that is all I was going by. It did say 160 cals per serve (as stated above), but on the label I looked at (again on the web) it only said 15 grams of protein. Perhaps they have different 'blends' now? As I said, above, (in my opinion) they seem pretty similar in nutritional components (at least from the labels I read on the web). I'm not sure you can go too wrong choosing one over the other.

I guess I haven't really looked in to that paticular brand of Gatorade. Im going to do some more research on it before I start talking to my clients about it. Im still leaning towards neither one though. There are SO many better pre and post workout beverages out there that make muscle milke and gatorade look like a brand name this is over priced. Good discussion though!